Inside Ukraine's Hidden Telecommunications War Thousands of Ukrainian mobile numbers, millions of pounds' worth of financial transactions, and commercial telecommunications equipment incorporated into Russian attack drones An investigation that began with the arrest of two suspected agents in 2025 has since exposed the potential scale of a supply network operating across international borders. Meanwhile, Russian drone designs have evolved to incorporate increasingly sophisticated communications systems. How did ordinary SIM cards become part of a modern weapons system, and what does the story reveal about the changing nature of warfare? In modern warfare, some of the most consequential technologies are not necessarily designed for military use. Mobile phone SIM cards, commercial computer components and ordinary telecommunications equipment can all find their way into weapons systems. Their original purpose may be to connect a phone to a network, transmit data or provid...
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